What to feed chickens to lay more eggs.

[ll]

thank you for posting all that great info!

 

[CAjerseychick]

I have no lights and my hens lay I swear all year. They seem to lay better when it is crappy outside. HAHAHAHA. I have production reds. Just for laying.

I use to feed them 16% laying pellets. Switched at the beginning of winter to 20% Purina Flock Raiser and oyster shells on the side. Plus I give mine scratch feed about every other day during the winter.

Like I said, mine don't lay any different depending on the season. You do have to take into consideration I do live in SC. Cold this morning for here. 29. But will be 57 by the end of the day. There is a hen in the box at the crack of dawn already.

They never stop.

New to this, but my young Jersey Giants started first lay mid december no supplemental light, and there was snow on the ground all the way thru Jan... I do feed them well the Flockraiser with oyster shell and now the Bar ale 20% protein all purpose pellets with a bag of 24% gamebird starter for their mash (with scraps) they get every other day-- that and they do get out under their fence into the back pasture which has a stream running by right next to the fence.... So they get all sorts of yummies I am thinking....

 

[obsessedwchicks]

Do sunflower seeds help at all? I'm thinking about trying the 22 percent layer, but we did that once, and I don't think it helped any but I wouldn't know! HA! But yesterday we didn't feed at all, because all of our chickens had so much feed left over…..

 

[NestingHillsSC]

I don't have to refill but every other day. I use crumbles but in those hanging feeders they bill food all over. So I bought those square hog feeders at TSC. If you don't fill them they don't do that. Going to get the long ones for $14. Then maybe I won't have to fill it but every 3 or 4 days.

 

[jedgeworth]

Sunflowers are great for chickens. It is good protien. It will also give their feathers a nice glossy shine if you feed them the black oil sunflower seeds.

 

[kuntrygirl]

I use to feed BOSS but the price increased to $30.00 for a 40 lb bag, so that was the end of that. :/

 

[jedgeworth]

Exactly the reason i quit. My chickens loved them and it made a big difference in the feathers also. Now i feed a 13 way scratch that has them in it with some other grain.

 

[mstricer]

35 hens, and it averages between a dozen to almost 2 dozen.

Okay here is something not asked....What kind of breeds do you have?

 

[obsessedwchicks]

We have a mix of rhode island red, cornish, we have a white plymouth rock and then one more breed ( i'd have to ask my dad) but i also have a golden chicken ( don't know the breed of her yet!)

 

[NestingHillsSC]

All mine so far are production reds. With 2 EE's thrown in the mix to add color to the cartons. HAHAHAHA Oh and one Delaware I just got. She's not laying yet.